The American Heart Association presents the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus award for commitment to prioritizing quality care for stroke patients
(LYNWOOD, CA – Sept. 20, 2021) – St. Francis Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and speeding recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.
“St. Francis Medical Center is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival after a stroke,” said St. Francis Medical Center CEO Dan Jones, FACHE. “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for stroke patients.”
Each year program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.
“We are pleased to recognize St. Francis Medical Center for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
St. Francis Medical Center also received the Association’s Target: StrokeSM Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.
Additionally, St. Francis Medical Center received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90% of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”
St. Francis Medical Center also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.
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About St. Francis Medical Center
St. Francis Medical Center is one of the leading comprehensive healthcare institutions serving Southeast Los Angeles. A member of Prime Healthcare, St. Francis is dedicated to providing vital healthcare services for the 700,000 adults and 300,000 children who count on the hospital for high-quality and compassionate medical care. St. Francis is recognized for its full range of diagnostic and treatment services in specialties including Cardiovascular, Surgical, Orthopedics, Maternal-Child Health, Behavioral Health, and Trauma, and its broad array of outreach programs. St. Francis Medical Center is an Approved Primary Stroke Care Center and STEMI Receiving Center for Los Angeles County verified Level II Trauma Center and designated Baby-Friendly healthcare facility by Baby-Friendly USA. Please visit www.stfrancismedicalcenter.com.
About Get With The Guidelines®
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 9 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.
